“I… can’t… breathe,” I whispered, my throat closing fast. I coughed, the taste of blood filling my mouth. “Alpha Darrell, please. Help me…”
He finally turned, one step closer.
Then Carla whimpered.
“My stomach… it hurts, Alpha Darrell. Something’s wrong!”
He didn’t hesitate. Not for a heartbeat.
He scooped her into his arms like she was breakable glass, his face full of worry. “What is it, Carla? Talk to me.”
I watched through tear-filled eyes, unable to move. My wolf howled in my chest, furious and wounded.
“Darrell…” I croaked again.
Silence fell.
The crowd turned to me. I was swaying on weak legs, blood at the corner of my mouth, choking on the very poison he’d handed me.
And still—he scowled.
“What now, Debbie?” he barked. “Carla needs a healer. Stop pretending. Stop being jealous all the time.”
Pretending?
Jealous?
Those words cut deeper than my body’s reaction.
I collapsed to my knees, the world tilting and spinning. Darkness clouded my vision.
You loved me once.
Now, you’re letting me die.
And somehow… I’m still the villain in your story.
I hate you, Darrell Armstrong.
With every breath I can’t take, I hate you.
And as everything faded to black, one thought lingered—
Is this how my story ends?
Debbie’s POV
When I came to, a subtle scent of herbs lingered in the air. I found myself resting on a cushioned bed inside the healer’s hut. The elderly woman tending to me offered a kind smile, her eyes lined with worry.
“You were lucky,” she said, her tone both gentle and reprimanding. “Another few minutes, and we would’ve lost you.”
I tried to speak, but my throat was raw, and only a faint rasp escaped. Though the agonizing pain had passed, an unbearable weariness weighed down my limbs. I reached for my wolf… but felt nothing. She was silent—too weak to answer. We had both been dragged too close to the edge.
“Child,” the healer said, patting my chilly hand softly, “you must never consume anything with berries again. For your kind, it’s a deadly toxin.” She shook her head. “Elisha brought you here, begging for your life. Said you’re Alpha Darrell’s intended. Future Luna.” Her gaze turned pointed. “You have a duty to protect yourself, not just to him, but to the pack.”
Her words were caring, yet they pierced me. Future Luna. Once, that title filled me with pride. Now, it echoed emptily in my soul.